1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a server device for use in a screen-transfer thin-client system where a computer on which an application program runs differs physically from a computer operated by the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the use of web applications has been increasing in the field of personal computers (PCs) connectable to a communication network, such as the Internet, and mobile computers.
This is because web applications have the merit of enabling the user to use the applications only with a standard web browser without installing them, whereas traditionally the user installed applications on the user's computer and ran them.
Recently, a thin-client system has been attracting attention because it has an advantage in information security.
In the thin-client system, an application runs on a server and only its screen information is transferred to a client terminal. The terminal has no actual data in it. Therefore, for example, a person who takes their computer (mobile terminal) out of the company for use in a business situation has the merit of being at low risk of information leakage because there is no data in the terminal even if they should lose the terminal.
A recent mobile information device, such as a mobile phone or a smartphone, is normally equipped with various sensors, including an orientation sensor, a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, and an acceleration sensor. Therefore, some of the web applications which have been designed to offer convenient services using the sensors, such as map navigation, have started to attract people's attention.
A system which uses position information in web applications has been disclosed in, for example, International Publication No. WO 2007/070459.
In the conventional thin-client system, a web application that uses information from a sensor cannot be used directly.
The reason is as follows. In the thin-client system, a web browser on which a web application is running is functioning on a thin-client system server located far away from the user who has a client terminal. For example, when position information from a GPS sensor is used, even if the web application has obtained position information on the server and used it, it has no meaning to the user.